Hey guys, It's been a while!
I worked my butt of on this chapter, so I really hope you all really like it.
I think it's so funny how I plan on writing so much for my author's notes, but I end up just writing a sentence or two. Well, I guess I wanted to clarify about what TMNT 'world' this story takes place. I really disliked the TMNT 2007 CGI films plot, but I was completely in love with the animation for the turtles.
Every time I write for this story I imagine the turtles, their lair, and other characters looking exactly as how they did in the TMNT 2007 CGI film. Even though Bishop wasn't in the 2007 film, I kinda imagine him looking a bit like Winters, but 10x creepier.
So I thought I'd put that imagery inside your head for anyone who might've been wondering.
Disclaimer: I don't own zee turtles.
...
"We wait."
Michelangelo paced frantically over to the laboratory door, then back over to Nicole's bed. "Wait for what!?" He snapped with panic building in his voice.
"Mikey, let's go outside and let Donnie try to figure this out." Raphael insisted standing up in front of him.
Michelangelo pushed Raphael to the side. "No! I want to help-"
"Mikey... When she stabilizes some more you can stay, but for now-"
"No!" He shouted, letting out a breath he hadn't known he was holding in. "Just let me help! With anything! I mean- I just want to help..."
Donatello stared at Michelangelo who held a hard; grave expression.
"O-Okay..."
Leonardo and Raphael took this as their time to leave the laboratory. They both slowly trudged out of the room, but before Raphael left he touched Michelangelo's shoulder looking up at him with a smile.
"Everything will be alright." He whispered.
Michelangelo smiled slyly, and both his older brothers walked out of the laboratory closing the door behind them.
Donatello ordered Michelangelo to get some medications from a small filing cabinet next to his desk, and place them on the medical table next to Nicole's bed. Donatello then filled multiple syringes with medications, and ran multiple tests on Nicole brain and skull. Even though Michelangelo wasn't as intelligent as Donatello with these sorts of things; he managed.
Some time had passed and frustration had built inside Donatello as he could not understand what exactly had happened to Nicole. Every test he ran on her brain came back positive, and there wasn't any sign of trauma or a sign of anything.
It was as if nothing had even happened.
It puzzled him deeply at how quickly her physical state had deteriorated, and how her body reacted so violently to absolutely nothing. He had concluded that he was possibly making a small mistake in his tests and exams causing them all to come back positive.
After about 15 minutes of going through computer reasearch, and doing more extensive study's on her tests; He looked over to Michelangelo.
He was sitting in a small wooden dinning table chair close enough to Nicole's bed that he could hunch over, cross his arms next her, and lay his head on them.
"I'm going to call Splinter, and tell him what happened. Hopefully, April can help me figure out more about what's going on with her." Donatello said, and sighed deeply as Michelangelo didn't even acknowledge that he was talking to him. "Do you want something to eat? Or drink?"
Michelangelo lifted his arms up, and stretched them over his head. "I'll have some water I guess." He mumbled and hunched back over closer to Nicole.
Donatello stood up, and walked out of the laboratory into the kitchen where Raphael was sitting at the kitchen table fiddling with the rim of a coffee mug. Donatello sat down next to Raphael, and ran his fingers over his skull letting out an irritated sigh.
"Is she gonna be alright?" Raphael asked with an uneasy tone.
"I don't know."
"What?"
"I said... I don't know."
Raphael stared at him wide-eyed, and confused. "W-What do ya' mean?"
"I mean exactly what I mean, Raph. I can't find a thing wrong with her." Donatello rubbed his hands together roughly. "I-I don't know what caused this. I'm going to call April, and ask for her help... but... if we don't find out what's wrong with her."
Donatello looked up to Raphael.
"We'll have to take her to a hospital."
"What!?" Raphael snapped, and Donatello hushed him. "Isn't it good that you can't find anything wrong with her? I mean Donnie her mug shot is all ova' the paper, and all ova' the news! You seriously can't even be considering somethin' like that! If the tests came back O.K then she gotta' be fine...Right?" Raphael looked at Donatello unsure if he even knew what he was saying was true. They all saw what happened to her, and it obviously ment that whatever had happened to Nicole was more serious than they anticipated.
"Raphael you saw what happened... Something is very, very wrong." Donatello stood up, and walked over to a small payphone attached to the kitchen wall near the fridge.
"I hope April can help me figure this out..." He whispered as he began to dial her phone number.
...
When I was 7 my mom was diagnosed with Bone Sarcomas. It is a cancer that originates inside living cells of the bones.
When my mother was diagnosed with cancer she wasn't as lucky as the others. Most who get this type of cancer normally can get cured, but my mother was severely anaemic causing her survival rate to drop.
When she was pregnant with me she had suffered from anaemia but the doctors were able to help her. It wasn't a huge threat to her then but, after she gave birth to me it became worse, and her treatments weren't helping her as much.
She was always very sick, and very weak. My dad was always the one cooking, cleaning, and overall being the full parent for me while she watched from the sidelines. I knew that this made her really upset, because she always wanted to be an active part of my life.
But she knew she couldn't be like the normal mothers.
A few days before my 7th birthday my mom got the flu. It was probably the worst I've ever seen my her. She couldn't walk, speak, or even eat. All she did was sleep, and when she was awake I'd talk to her about how she'd get better, and how everything would be just fine.
But, she never did get better.
On the day of my 7th birthday my dad had put together a little party for me in our backyard. He invited some of my friends, and my grandparents over to celebrate. My mom had insisted that she would come outside to watch me open my presents, and cut my birthday cake. I guess she over exerted herself because she fainted, and hit her head really hard against a clay pot we had in the garden.
We rushed her over to the hospital, and that's when the doctors discovered the cancer.
For about 2 weeks she went through multiple surgeries, and treatments. The cancer had spread throughout her entire body consuming all life from her.
She died 3 weeks after being diagnosed.
It didn't really bother me when I was little, because my mom always told me that I should be strong. She always told me that no matter what I never needed a reason to be worried about her. So when she died, I wanted to be strong for my dad, and I just wanted to make-believe like it never happened.
Sometime's I just wanted to forget my mother even existed at all.
It hurt so much to even think about her, but I wouldn't let myself cry. I wouldn't let myself break down. I had to be strong for myself, and for my father.
But strength was the number one thing I lacked. After her death I lost all interest in everything. Everything just became routine, and I slowly dreaded life altogether.
I just wanted to be dead.
And now I am dead.
I remember it hurting so much before I died. My skull felt like dust, and my bones felt like jelly. After a few minutes the pain stopped, but I still kept screaming.
I've never seen Michelangelo look so scared. I've never seen any of them look that scared. But... I can't forget their faces.
I wish I could forget their faces.
I feel like I've been thinking forever, but I can't keep track of time. I can't remember a before, and I'm waiting for the after. But... there is no after.
Is this what it's really like to be dead? I had imagined angels. I'm not very religious but, still, I imagined angels.
I guess even my body, and soul isn't good enough, because now I'm stuck in darkness. A whole new world built upon the colour black.
Sometimes I can remember the past as if I'm living in a dream. All I remember is when I told Michelangelo a story about when I was a little girl, and I got a bunch of guerrilla glue in my hair. So I cute off a huge part of my hair, and my mom got so mad. It was so bad that I had to shave all my hair off, and the rest of my 3rd grade year was full of total embarrassment.
He thought it was totally hilarious, and went about to tell everyone about it. Visually, I can't see anything other than that moment. Everything else is black, and the only thing keeping me company is my thoughts.
Every time I see the two of us, I feel alive again. I feel like I'll wake up, and everything will be just fine. It's a glimmer of hope, and for just a moment I try to believe that maybe I'm not dead.
...
1 week later
"Her life is on the line. What if there's a way to bring her out of this coma with proper equipment that I don't have. I'm not ready to take that chance."
"Donnie, they'll put her in jail... I know that this is difficult, but we should wait-"
"Wait!? We've waited a week Leo, and she isn't getting any better! April tried to help, but she couldn't understand what's wrong with her either. Why would the tests come back positive? If the tests were telling the truth then why hasn't she waken up by now?"
Leonardo, and Donatello were in the living room attempting to have a discussion about Nicole's condition. This subject was discussed lightly, because Michelangelo would become hysterical if he heard them talking about Nicole. The entire 5 day's Nicole's been in a coma, he had been by her side. Hardly eating, and definitely not getting enough sleep to cope with his own daily life.
"I'm afraid Leo." Donatello admitted. "I'm afraid that she'll die, because I couldn't do anything to help her."
"The only way to help her safe is to keep her here Donnie."
Leonardo sighed heavily, and touched his shoulder. "Whatever happens... isn't your fault."
Donatello started at the ground shamefaced, walking off without a word.
"Donnie you're too hard on yourself..." Leonardo whispered knowing that he couldn't hear him. He stood in the living room for a few moments collecting his thoughts, and walked over to the laboratory entering quietly. Michelangelo was sitting in the same wooden chair staring at Nicole, but turned his head over to Leonardo when he heard him open the door.
"Hey." He mumbled.
"H-Hey... How's she doing."
"Fine."
Leonardo gulped softly, and rubbed the back of his neck.
"Her hair looks better." He finally said.
After the 3rd day of Nicole's coma, Michelangelo suggested that they fix her hair since half of it was butchered. April had offered to help him so they buzzed off the rest of her hair attempting to make her look decent.
"Yeah, it does..."
Leonardo pulled a chair up next to Michelangelo and sat down with a heavy sigh. "Mikey, when was the last time you ate?"
"I don't know, but I'll be fine."
"Mikey. When was the last time you ate?" Leonardo repeated with a more demanding, an aggressive tone.
"Yesterday." Michelangelo quickly replayed.
"Yesterday? The only thing you ate was the toast I made you yesterday morning...? Mikey you haven't eaten in almost 2 days!"
"I'll be fine-"
Leonardo cut him off. "No. You aren't fine. You need to eat, and you need to rest Michelangelo."
"I said I'll be fine." Michelangelo scoffed with annoyance in his voice.
"I don't care what you said! As your leader I command you too-"
"Fine! I'll go eat!" He snapped, and kicked his seat back storming out of the laboratory.
Leonardo stood up quickly, and followed Michelangelo. "Mikey!" He shouted.
"I said I'd eat Leo! What more do you want!?"
"Mikey..." He said softly, as Michelangelo had tears flowing from his eyes.
"WHAT!?" He shouted with his voice cracking, and his fists rubbing roughly against his eyes to stop the tears.
Leonardo walked over to him, and grabbed his fists. "Let me go! What are you doing!?" Michelangelo started to hit Leo attempted to get away from his iron grip, but Leo pulled him into a tight hug. "It's okay Mikey."
"Let me... Let me go..." He said choking back sobs, and finally succumbed to his emotions sobbing against Leo's plastron.
Raphael peaked from out of his room hearing the commotion downstairs, and looked down at scene below. "Awh shell..." He whispered quietly.
"Mikey everything will get better." Leo said softly trying to console him.
"D-Don't lie to me! She's dying... isn't she!?" He wailed looking at Leo with a bitter, heart-broken expression.
"Mikey, we don't know that..."
Leonardo started at Michelangelo with sullen eyes, and Michelangelo contorted his face into anger, and grief.
"S-She i-is dying..." He gasped choking back sobs as his breathing rapidly picked up.
Leonardo's eyes widened slightly, as Michelangelo began to panic. He had no idea what to do, and wasn't even able to think about what to do.
You're the leader, Leo! Do something!
"My son. Please, come with me." Splinter said softly touching Michelangelo's shoulder.
Michelangelo, and Leonardo jumped as Master Splinter and seemed to appear out of thin air.
"M-Master Splinter." Michelangelo whispered softly staring down at him. Splinter quirked his eyebrows in a concerned fashion, and pulled softly on his shoulder.
"Please my son, join me in my quarters." He spoke softly, tugging on his shoulder a bit harder to get Michelangelo to move.
"O.K." He mumbled softly, walking with Splinter slowly. They reached his quarters, and before Splinter closed his rice paper door he turned around to Leonardo and shot him a concerned stare.
"Leo." Raphael said loudly to get his attention. Leonardo shot his glare at Raph who was standing in the doorway of his room.
He jumped down from the second-floor level, and walked over to him.
"You know leader's needa' break just like the rest of us." He began. "You just gotta let the inevitable happen, bro. There's no reason to try and stop it."
For a few moments they stood in silence, and Leonardo sighed heavily before speaking.
"Mikey likes her a lot."
Raphael looked at him with pity in his eyes. "Yeah... He does."
...
I'm starting to dream more.
I dreamt about the time Michelangelo and I went out for skateboard lessons. He kept trying to teach me how to cruise, and I would freak out every time he'd let me go. I just couldn't conquer my fear of being on the board alone without him holding onto me. Every time he let go I just screamed for him to come back. I couldn't even get of the board without freaking out.
God that was so embarrassing.
The dream varies on occasion. Like for instance I'll begin to dream about Michelangelo getting ready to go out for a skate lesson, but I'll only get as far as me grabbing his skateboard from out of his room.
Everything will just stop and then afterwords comes complete darkness.
Death is very, very prolonged.
The more I think about it maybe I'm dying instead of actually being dead. Maybe this is just what happens before you die.
Or maybe I'm in hell.
When will this end?
...
3 week's later
Raphael was sitting at Donatello's desk taking his turn at watching over Nicole. The only movement she made was the labored rising of her chest every time she breathed. It was going to be almost 6 day's since Nicole's made any progress, and this bothered him deeply.
The more he thought about her never waking up again, the more he though about how Michelangelo would react.
He's never seen his younger brother so unhappy. Usually he was the one full of life and joy. It was if all the happiness in him drained out of him, and was locked away forever. It just felt like the lair was dead without his naturally bubbly personality.
Nicole had been in a coma for almost an entire month, and he couldn't take everyone and their depressing attitudes towards everything.
"It's like everyone lost all faith in ya." Raphael mumbled crossing his arms over his chest.
"I know that you're gonna beat this. You just need some time."
...
I'm going to make-believe that today is Saturday.
Saturday's were the day's my mother insisted on doing my hair. No matter how sick, or how weak, she always wanting to do something with my hair on a Saturday.
The only reason I woke up early Saturday mornings was she could braid my hair, and then I'd go out to play with all the other kids.
After she passed away, Saturday's just became a boring, old day. They became meaningless.
What are you talking about?
W-Who s-said that?
How long will it take for you to remember, Nicole? Don't you remember your 10th birthday?
W-What are you talking about?
After your mother died things changed for you. Remember? You started seeing things, and hearing things. Daddy became afraid of you for a while, and didn't know what to do with you.
What the fuck are you talking about!? What is this?
So he took you to Bishop. Bishop said he'd make everything go away, and that you would be able to forget everything with one special little pill.
Stop...
Oh! Are you beginning to recall!? Your father toke you to Bishop, so he could experiment on you. Remember!? He would say that it was such a shame how tainted your sanity was, but the fact that your brain was so damaged it fascinated him to the core!
You need to remember what they did to you, Nicole
N-No... The pills will make me f-forget...
You don't have the pills anymore. What's going to stop you from accepting the truth?
Please... PLEASE, DON'T MAKE ME REMEMBER!
No, Nicole. Remember what your father did to you. There was never anything good about him. He was a coward who couldn't even help his own child. He left you with Bishop for 9 years so you could be his brand new pet and your father did nothing about it.
PLEASE STOP!
Remember, Nicole!? You tried to kill yourself, because you forced yourself to remember! You couldn't take the truth, or the imprisonment Bishop held against you.
But, now... You're free.
STOP IT! STOP IT!
Now is the time to accept this reality.
NO!
...
"NO!"
Raphael inhaled sharply, and turned around to look at the laboratory door. "Nicole!?" He gasped running inside the room shocked to see Nicole thrashing violently on the medical bed.
Raphael ran over to her side attempting to stop her from violently pulling out her IV drips, and other monitor attachments. His brothers stormed in after they heard her screaming, and quickly tried to help him hold her down.
Michelangelo nervously grabbed onto her shoulders trying to calm her hysteria.
"Nicole, what's wrong!?" He blurted out in fear, as she began to cry hysterically.
"I remember everything." She whispered, tears pouring down her eyes. Her eyes were wild with fear, and a ghastly whiteness spread over her face.
Michelangelo slowly loosened his grip on her shoulders, as she reached out for his shell pulling him into her embrace. She buried her face into his plastron, as he locked his arms around her waist.
"What do you mean Nicole." He whispered softly into her ear.
"I remember everything he tried to make me forget."
...
I hope you digged it!
See you soon! :)